Smoked Success

26.

"Mom and the Styles dude are engaged." Peter announces, sighing.

"What? When did they say that?" I ask, trying not to seem fed up with him.

"When you left, Jessica." He replies, running a hand through his hair while glancing at his phone. "I've got to go."

"Bye." I roll my eyes. I'm very pissed, why am I the last to know? As usual. I'm not going to do anything, I'm going to pretend I do not know shit when they talk to me. I'm going to be intelligent enough to be vacuous.

"Jess, are you going to be okay?" Katherine asks, rubbing her hand on my shoulder.

"I need alcohol." I state, sighing. I'm desperate for some beer, this sober thing is very hard, but I've promised not to drink again.

"I felt the same when I knew Melissa's pregnant." She smiles. Man she's gone through a lot, and she's not given up. "And my mother knew before me."

"How's her baby?" I ask, glancing at my phone again, nothing new.

"Still doesn't want to know the sex." She rolls her eyes. "Since Melissa's spending the night at her boyfriend's, I think Angelina and you should spend the night at my house, you know, so you won't throw three months of sobriety through the window." She suggests, excited.

"It'll probably be nice." I shrug.

It's been three weeks since Peter moved in with my roommates and I. We've been getting along better, but he's still not my favorite person in the world. Today is Carmel and Alex's wedding, right after work. I'm really glad I didn't drink that other day, it will have really ruined the shit out of me. I've finished work, I'm on my way to get my dress from the dry clean place. Matthew's coming with me, whilst Angelina's completely against it, and she wants to watch basketball with Andrew instead, she loves it so much I don't understand how.

My job's been going well, it's just that teaching has more ups and downs discovering students' personas, but working at an office has more liberties. I can't wait for my passport, which will mean I can finally introduce myself as an american, one year down, two left.

Glad they're not five years, thanks mom. I haven't talked to her since that day, can you imagine? I'm pissed, and she seems so too, so I guess there's some tension going on. I have my dress, got to go to Matthew's place, to get it on and to head to the wedding.

"Jessica, we need to talk." Matthew says, while I'm drinking my zero alcohol wine.

The wedding's so cute, not so many invited persons but it's nice. It's very well decorated, I've met her parents, and they're pretty nice. Andrew's texted me twice, to tell me about Angelina trying out his basketball. Seems dangerous, but she's insisting, I don't understand how she's three. Back to Matthew.

"Yes, honey?" I smile at him, and we peck each other's lips.

"I've got a confession to make." He rubs the back of his neck, anxious.

"Now? Can't that wait for later?" I whine, annoyed. I wasn't really in the mood for anything now, I really wanted to sleep for some reason.

"I can't wait anymore. Jessica, I'm not bisexual. I'm gay, I broke up with my boyfriend and that's why I dated you, to get over him. I didn't want to do this, but my friend convinced me of it. I'm still not over him and I'm not attracted to you, at all." He blabbers, seeming like he's thought of this for so long.

"Is this some very late April's fool?" I narrow my eyes, very confused.

"No." He runs a hand through his hair. "My ex, has called me, all the way from New York, and he wants me back."

"You're kidding, right?" I scoff, sipping non alcoholic wine.

"I'm afraid not." He mutters.

"Well, fine, okay. Go get him." I roll my eyes, glancing at my drink. Great, another breakup. I think I need an AA meeting.

"And that's why I'm here." I fake a smile at the rest of the alcoholics, then sip my black coffee. "I'm not offended because he's gay, I'm just offended because he used me." Being used is a horrible act when it's to humans, they aren't made for that.

"Anyone else wants to share?" The secretary asks, smiling. Nobody had the right to judge the other, this was a safe spot for each and every single one of us. "Guess this meeting's over."

I stand up, head to the door to leave then go to my car. I really want to go home and sleep, this abrupt break up is just horrible. I get to my car and start driving, the closer I am to home, the more embarrassment rushes into my body, how come I was just a 'straight experiment'.

I'm really glad for these meetings, without them I'll have been getting drunk everyday. They really do help, hearing how your life isn't that  chaotic and that there's worse. Katherine stopped drinking right when she knew that her mother knew about her daughter's pregnancy before her. That's when she realized she's been really away, drinking all the time.

Great, I've arrived. How will I tell Peter about this whole thing? Matthew wasn't really my favorite boyfriend but still, this is one of the most abrupt breakups I've ever been through.

I take the lift and glance at my phone, Andrew's sent me a picture. I open that, oh my god they're baking. And we all know for sure that baking with a toddler and a college student isn't the best idea ever. As long as she's not burning his house, or herself, I'm fine with it. I apparently forgot my keys inside, great I have to knock now. The door's open, a woman shows up.

She's got blonde hair cut in a Bob, a really small narrow nose and brown eyes. She's tall and has white skin, makes me feel like she's very European.

"Good afternoon, I suppose you're Jessica?" She smiles, showing her dimples. Her accent is sort of similar to Peter's, I still don't recognize her.

"I suppose you're Peter's, um, let me say, sister he's never told me about?" I tilt my head to look at my apartment. I don't want to know what she's doing here, and I'm serious, I'm too tired.

"Don't be silly, I'm his girlfriend. You know, he's never told me you're funny." She says. "I'm Jillian by the way. Peter's told me you come here to pick up your daughter."

I knot my eyebrows, now what the hell does she mean by picking up?

"Yeah Jessica, since you live in your dearest boyfriend's house?" Peter gives me a look. My boyfriend? Whom I just broke up with? "You know, she works so hard that she forgets where she lives." I raise my eyebrows.

"He's so sweet by the way, your daughter seems to communicate with him very well." Jillian smirks. Matthew never talked to Angelina. What on earth? I don't understand shit.

"Peter, can you check on my back? I have this horrible rash and I don't know what to do to it." I lie, just to talk to Peter individually. He nods and we get in what is actually my bedroom.

"Now were you serious or is this just to talk privately?" He asks, closing the door. "Cause I seriously don't know shit about backs."

"My mom gave birth to a stupid boy." I roll my eyes. "I don't have shit going on with my back."

"You're really good at lying by the way." He says, and I roll my eyes again.

"Who the fuck is that boyfriend of mine who gets along with my daughter pretty well?" I snap.

"I can explain." He smiles awkwardly.